LANSING — Last month, voters approved Proposal 3 to eliminate barriers to fair and accessible elections. Despite the proposal passing with over 60 percent support and in 80 of Michigan’s 83 counties, House Republicans rushed through a plan today weakening key elements of the initiative. In response, state Rep. Adam Zemke (D-Ann Arbor) issued the following statement:
“This bill is not about protecting against voter fraud or ensuring audit security, as its proponents claim. It’s about silencing the voices of the 4.3 million Michiganders who voted in November. It’s about suppressing the voice of millions of future voters who have yet to ever cast a ballot. And it’s about upholding a system of voter suppression that Republicans have been working to implement the last eight years, one that voters overwhelmingly rejected on Election Day. As legislators, we must ensure the security of our state’s elections, but these bills only make it more difficult for Michigan families to vote.”